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Taking flight… A new breed of female action figure has arrived (Picture: IAmElemental)

More heroine, less Hooters.

As a tagline for a new wave of female action figures targeted specifically at girls, it’s pretty catchy. And the idea is catching too.

This mantra is the foundation for IAmElemental, a collection of strong female characters that could make a generation of children throw their Barbies in the bin.

Founded by two American businesswomen who were tired of how the toy industry depicts its heroines, the new line of figures is a reaction to the big breasts and tiny waists found on most female superhero dolls.

There are seven action figures in all, and with names such as Bravery and Persistence, they are designed to empower children and fire their imaginations.

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‘The big toy companies do not design action figures for girls,’ said IAmElemental co-founder Julie Kerwin. ‘They design hyper-sexualised female figures for the collector market in a way that renders them inappropriate as playthings for the average four-year-old – girl or boy.

‘We set out to design fierce female figures with a healthier breast-to-hip ratio. It’s hard to find toys on the shelves where girls are the ones saving the day.’

Kerwin, a music producer, set up IAmElemental with her friend, marketer Dawn Nadeau. They are both mothers-of-two living in New York and they turned to their children for help when designing the action figures.

Each character has her own trading card (Picture: IAmElemental)

‘IAmElemental is founded on the premise that every single one of us is already a superhero, and that all the superpowers we could ever want or need are already inside of us,’ said Kerwin.

The figures, designed at the EleventyPlex studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, can be pre-ordered online and will be ready to ship to customers by the end of this year. A search is also underway for a British distributor.

The creators insist they are not ‘anti-doll’ – just that they offer an alternative.

‘There is room in a child’s toy box for both Barbie and IAmElemental action figures,’ said Kerwin. ‘But they are different things. Even if you dress Barbie up as a superhero, she is still a doll. Dolls you primp, you change their outfits and comb their hair. Action figures take on challenges, fight bad guys and have superpowers.’

‘A female Thor is as laughable an idea as a male Wonder Woman,’ she said. ‘Why would Marvel choose to give one of their most iconic – and profitable – male action figures a sex change?

‘Marvel may claim that the female Thor has been created for the female audience, but the sketch that they released, depicting a woman with breasts as large as her head and a few missing ribs, would seem to indicate that they can’t quite kick the habit of drawing their females for the adult male audience.’

She said IAmElemental has a different goal. ‘We are marketing more than just an action figure,’ said Kerwin. ‘We are marketing a message about character and empowerment.’